1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to woodworking machines, more specifically woodworking machines for carrying out automatic working of wooden works based upon preformed digitizing data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional woodworking machines are known for desirable working of wooden works by using manual copying machines having a plurality of copying heads for working each work which is driven in synchronous manner with said corresponding copying head. In such woodworking machines, a model having a desired form is copied by operating the copying heads manually, while at the same time a plurality of works are worked into the same form as said model works by a plurality of copying heads driven in synchronous manner with said model copying head.
In another woodworking machines combined with playback/teaching robot, a playback teaching is first carried out for causing the robot to store said copying operation by operating the copying head manually, and the robot carries out then the desired working by operating said copying heads in the following cycles.
In the first manual type of woodworking machines, a operator must operate a woodworking machine. Therefore, this process is so much laborious and needs a high operator's skill for obtaining a stable working quality, thus labor-saving being difficult and heavy cutting operation being limited.
In the second type of woodworking machines, i.e. machines using robot or robots, the first step of playback/teaching needs a long period of time, thus decreasing the productivity of machines.
Accordingly, computer operators input first working conditions such as starting points and limit points, and then output these working conditions into copying digitizing device connected the corresponding computer, this device being then operated thereby to form the digitizing data of corresponding works. These digitizing data are then stored into the computer and are used for driving the woodworking machines for carrying out desired working operations.
However, the woodworking machines using digitizing data stored in a computer have the disadvantage in that at the copying digitizing operation of a works having complicated forms, it is necessary to divide the works into a number of parts and set the working conditions such as starting points and limits. This setting of working conditions needs long periods of time, which decreases the working efficiency.
Further, when forming the digitizing data for respective parts of works, it is necessary to form respective programs for digitizing data of each part and form then a main program integrating these programs, these operations being carried out all manually, so that errors are apt to be caused with respect to working orders, starting points, program numbers and the like.